Papsadora’s goal in OT lifts Bangor by rival Brewer

ORONO — The Bangor Rams ice hockey team survived a late push by the Brewer Witches Monday night at Alfond Arena as senior forward Zach Papsadora outmuscled the Witches defense and buried the game winner 3:07 seconds into overtime to carry the Rams past the Witches by a 6-5 final in the “Fill the Alfond” game.

Bangor snapped a three-game losing streak in the series and improved to 14-3. Brewer moves to 11-6.

Papsadora attacked up the boards and cut left through slot where he pushed through a check by a Brewer defender and caught Brewer’s Patrick Spaulding on the ice as he buried a shot into the back of the net to give Bangor the win.

“I went to the left wall and I saw their player coming at me at an angle so I stopped real quick,” said Papsadora. “I saw the corner and I shot and got lucky that it went in.”

Story continues below advertisement.

Bangor led 5-2 with 8:08 remaining in the game, but a late three-goal push by the Witches forced overtime.

“There was a lot of heart in that third period,” Brewer coach David Shedd said. “They outshot us and they’re a big and powerful team, we did well to stay with them as long as we did.”

Bangor outshot Brewer 44-35.

“What a ride,” Bangor coach Quinn Paradis said. “They had momentum and we took it back. I told the guys we weren’t going to lose this one, we had it in our heart to win it.”

Jordan Tracy staked the Rams to a 1-0 lead with an unassisted goal at the 7:28 mark of the first period as Bangor pulled goalie Rye Powell on a delayed penalty on Brewer’s Jonathan Shedd and capitalized.

Tracy picked the puck up at his blue line and streaked up the ice as the play developed into a 2-on-0 and he finished by sneaking the puck through the five-hole of Spaulding.

Brewer responded seconds later at the 7:41 mark of the first as senior Spencer Valley deked Powell to his backhand. Gabe Valley earned the assist on the goal.

The Rams countered with a goal at the 8:10 mark of the period as Alec Coleman-Pray picked up a rebound and stuffed it home.

Jake Fournier and Sam Kenney each added assists.

Parker Sanderson pushed the Rams lead to 3-1 at the 1:09 mark of the second period, finishing an unassisted goal by roofing a shot past Spaulding’s right shoulder.

Spencer Valley cut the Rams lead to 3-2 4:40 later with his second of the game.

Gabe Valley and Candace Daughty each chipped in an assist..

Bangor pushed its lead to a commanding 5-2 margin early in the third period with back-to-back power-play goals from defenseman Justin Courtney and then Sanderson at the 5:45 mark and the 6:52 mark respectively.

Brewer didn’t give up as Gabe Valley began a three-goal Witches rally at the 7:15 mark of the first with an assist from Jack Schroder.

Spencer Valley finished the hat trick with a power-play goal, cutting the Rams lead to 5-4 as Gabe Valley earned an assist.

The Witches evened the game at 5-5 at the 10:10 mark of the third as Zach Torrey blasted a loose rebound over the left shoulder of Powell on the power play.